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THE DARKNESS OUTSIDE US

Eliot Schrefer

They Both Die at the End meets The Loneliest Girl in the Universe in this mind-bending sci-fi mystery and tender love story about two boys aboard a spaceship sent on a rescue mission, from two-time National Book Award finalist Eliot Schrefer.
Two boys, alone in space. Sworn enemies sent on the same rescue mission. Ambrose wakes up on the Coordinated Endeavor with no memory of a launch. There's more that doesn't add up: evidence indicates strangers have been on board, the ship's operating system is voiced by his mother, and his handsome, brooding shipmate has barricaded himself away. But nothing will stop Ambrose from making his mission succeed -- not when he's rescuing his own sister. In order to survive the ship's secrets, Ambrose and Kodiak will need to work together and learn to trust each other... especially once they discover what they are truly up against. Love might be the only way to survive. Eliot Schrefer is a New York Times bestselling author, has twice been a finalist for the National Book Award in Young Peoples Literature, and has won the Green Earth Book Award and the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award for Children's Literature. His novels include Endangered, Threatened, Rescued, and two books in the Spirit Animals series. He lives in New York City, is on the faculty of the Fairleigh Dickinson University MFA in creative writing program, and is the children's book reviewer for USA Today.
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Published 2021-06-01 by Katherine Tegen Books

Comments

Fiercely imaginative and desperately real, The Darkness Outside Us explores the wild expanses of the human heart. This book is a triumph.

Against a backdrop of speculative fiction tropes and Cold Warlike identity politics, Schrefer's immersive novel combines the build of mysteries and the tension of romance, slowly unfurling an iterative story about love and attraction, destiny, and connection.

Yes, The Darkness Outside Us is utterly inventive and relentlessly page-turning. And yes, Ambrose and Kodiak are seriously the hottest couple in space. But even more, this is an insightful, tender, and profound story, about the weight of history, and the power of transformation and true love.

The Darkness Outside Us is equal parts terrifying, tender, and thrilling. I loved every word of this sharp, thoughtful look at the world we live in and the ones beyond.

Teen astronauts Ambrose and Kodiak hail from warring nations, but they're the only two crew members on a rescue mission to Titan. Schrefer captivatingly maintains the tension as the pair learns the true nature of their mission while their relationship deepens. Read more...

Readers are sure to root for these lovable characters' survival.

Absolutely brilliant. The Darkness Outside Us is a pulse-pounding thriller, engrossing science fiction epic, and heartfelt meditation on love all at once.

...blastoff for mystery, adventure, and queer intergalactic bodice?ripping.